The three-month Huong Pagoda Festival, the largest of its kind in Viet Nam, kicked off in Huong Son commune, Ha Noi’s outlying district of My Duc on February 10 (the sixth day of the lunar new year), attracting numerous visitors with less congestion than previous years.

The organising board said up to 124,500 pilgrims flocked to Huong Pagoda, about 60km from downtown Ha Noi, from February 7-9, even 46,800 on February 8 alone. On February 10, the figure is estimated at over 50,000.

Going to Huong Pagoda is a spiritual journey to the Buddhist Land – where the Goddess of Mercy leads a religious life.

Visitors have sightseeing trips to pagodas, temples and caves which are the main attractions at the Huong pagoda festival, and join ceremonies to ask favours from Lord Buddha.

Built in the late 17th century, the Huong Pagoda Complex has a large number of pagodas, temples and caverns filled with marvelous stalactites and stalagmites.

The Huong Tich cavern has the autograph of Lord Trinh Sam in 1770, describing the cavern as the most beautiful cave in the country.